Geography 1 examines the Earth’s physical environment
from the perspective of the major features of the Earth’s four environmental
realms (geospheres): the atmosphere, hydrosphere,
lithosphere, and the biosphere.The interactions between the variables that
constitute the geospheres ultimately produce the
Earth’s complex physical environment.

Learning
Outcome

This course is intended to enable you to gain an
understanding of the complexity and the interaction of the many variables that
together produce the Earth’s environmental system.

Exams consist of multiple choice and/or true/false
questions.Amissed
exam may not be made up.However,you may replace one missed exam with 80% of the
highest score that you earn on any other course exam.There will be no cumulative final exam.

Weekly
Quizzes and/or Assignments

Most weeks, a quiz (m/c, T/F or short answer questions) OR a short written assignments will
be given.Quizzes and assignments may not be made up.Both quizzes and exams are based on
material covered in the lecture/discussion and the associated textbook
chapter(s).

Evaluation
of your work

3
exams = @50 pts each

Quizzes/Assignments
= @10-15 pts each = approximately 150 pts (depending on actual number and
points assigned to each)

Please note that the cumulative points for the quizzes/assignments equal
that for the 3 exams (i.e. the 3 exams less than 50% of the points that may be
earned)

Course
Grade

Your grade for the course will be based on the
percentage of the cumulative points that you earn:

A = 85% or >

B = 75%-84%

C = 65%-74%

D = 55%-64%

F = 54% or <

Dropping
my course:

I sincerely hope that you will remain in my course and
have a positive learning experience.Please
be aware that not participating in this
online class is not the same as dropping the class.So, if you decide not be to be an active
participant, please drop the course.If
you do not drop, your name will still appear on the grade collection form, and
I am required to turn in a grade for you (an “F”).

Assigned
Textbook Chapters and Lecture Topics

Ch. 1
Introduction to Earth

Ch. 2
Portraying Earth

Ch. 3
Introduction to the Atmosphere

Ch. 4 Insolation and Temperature

Ch. 5
Atmospheric Pressure and Wind

Exam #1 will follow
lectures on chs. 1-5

Ch. 6
Atmospheric Moisture

Ch. 7
Transient Atmospheric Flows and Disturbances

Ch. 8 Climate
Zones and Types

Ch. 9
Hydrosphere

Ch. 10 Cycles
and Patterns in the Biosphere

Exam #2 will
follow lectures on chs. 6-10

Ch. 13
Introduction to Landforms

Ch. 14
Internal Processes

Ch. 15
Preliminaries to Erosion: Weathering and Mass Wasting

Exam #3 will
follow lectures on chs. 13-15

Chapter “teaching
points” outline/summary and chapter – select one of the chapters
below:

Ch. 16
Fluvial Processes

Ch. 18
Topography of Arid Lands

Ch. 19
Glacial Modification of Terrain

Ch. 20
Coastal Processes and Terrain

Please
note:Assigned chapters and
lecture topics are subject to change/deletion with advance notice from me.I do not like teaching against the clock, nor
does the best learning take place under the pressure of time.